Tears in Time
Disha Shetty
Tears in Time is a visualization of the decades of political turmoil Kashmir has faced. By sharing borders with India, Pakistan, and China, the state has been subjected to endless battles over its territory with a resulting loss of life and land. However, while Kashmir is infamous for its religious and political conflict, it is also famous for its decadent and inspiring textiles that are sold across the world. The more recognizable of these textiles are known to the Western world as Cashmere and Pashmina and are decorated with carefully embroidered motifs and symbols that represent the flora and fauna found in Kashmir's landscapes.
Through battles between empires and wars between nations, the periodic territorial shifts have overshadowed the beauty that lies beyond the conflict. This book uses the beauty of Kashmiri textile motifs and their materiality to contrastingly present information about the strife of Kashmir’s territorial changes throughout history. ‘Tears in Time’ informs and educates people who want to learn more about the political landscape of Kashmir through a cultural context, and gain a visual understanding of the more alluring qualities that shape Kashmir’s identity.